02/01/2026
The story of St. John Bosco is an incredible story of sacrifice, generosity, and love. His father died when he was 2 years old, leaving his mother alone to raise him and his brothers in a materially poor house, but one rich in prayer with a profound spirit and of selflessness and sacrifice. Growing up, young John slept on the floor in a part of Italy known for cold and often brutal winters. The discipline and austerity of his young life laid the foundation for a life of detachment and selfless service directed towards those who also had no father in their lives.
When he was 9 years old, St. john Bosco had a vision – Young men unruly and with blasphemy on their lips toward Christ and the Blessed Mother – with a call to convert these young men. The Blessed Mother told him he would accomplish this through gentleness and kindness, revealing the beauty of virtue through his life and witness. After receiving this vision, he told his mother that he would become a priest and fulfill the mission the Lord had placed on his heart.
St. John Bosco’s life and ministry were marked by resistance and challenges. Strengthened by the training he had as a young man and by the grace of Jesus, he persevered and converted countless young men – many who had been abandoned and written off, to Jesus. He went onto found the Salesian order and a corresponding order for religious sisters.
The mission of Haiti180 seeks to follow in the footsteps of the great St. John Bosco. 16 years ago, we opened the doors of the orphanage to abandoned children – the poorest of the poor in Haiti. When these young children grew to school age, we launched a school that would form their hearts and minds to be the next generation of leaders for their country. Despite the opposition of actual witch doctors, who preyed on the ignorance and vulnerability of the local people, we opened a medical clinic that provides life-saving care to people who would not otherwise have access. When we discovered elderly people who had been abandoned by their families and left to die in huts, we built an elderly care facility.
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